For all the wonderful progress we have made with mobile technology, it sometimes feels like we are still so restricted. We have these connected pocket computers, and speakers, and portable hard drives and more; the one thing they all have in common is they will eventually need a power source.

For all our progress, battery life on our gadgets haven’t — or can’t — keep up.

It’s all good though. Electrical outlets are plentiful. Mostly. Even better, a pocket power generator that can give a reasonable boost in a pinch, negating the need for extra batteries or hunting for power sources.

One has to give it style points for presentation. It is no bigger than a medium sized flashlight, coming in at 3.2 ounces with dimensions of 3.6 x 0.9 x 0.9 inches. The silvery finish of the review unit highlights smooth metallic feeling finish; the entire piece feels weighted in hand. One might be forgiven for thinking it is a flashlight, with the glassed end and hand strap and ports for charging and discharging at the other, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Getting going involves charging the piece itself, long enough to for the LED lights to denote full capacity. After that, it’s as simple as attaching the device to be juiced to the charger via the included micro USB cable, and letting the 2800 mAh capacity battery work. How much charging power is left is also measured by LED lighting.

In real world testing, it performed proficiently, able to effect a full charge from 20% in under an hour.

As an added piece of utility, it also has flashlight capabilities, with a toggle button that can also invoke flashing patterns. The controls sequence was intuitive to begin with, bu work well with double taps. I don’t know how enduser-serviceable the bulb is, but for extra functionality, it is certainly welcome. I did not like the fact that the USB cord is separate, but it doe come with a nifty carrying pouch.

The Magicstick’s best attribute, unashamedly, is the price, and it is a hard attribute to pass up. It comes in eight different colors, officially supports 7 types of devices and comes with a warranty.